Chapter 10 - THE GOLD LOCKET
The sunlight outside the cathedral suddenly felt cold.
A hit out on everyone.
"The Vitiellos are heavily armed, Boss," Daniel continued, his eyes scanning the surrounding rooftops. "If they know we foiled the kidnapping, they know we're onto them. They won't wait for a sit-down with the Commission. They're going to strike first."
Luca’s arm tightened around my waist. He looked at Leo, who was happily holding Chloe’s hand, completely unaware of the new danger.
"Get everyone to the estate," Luca commanded. "Full lockdown. Nobody goes in or out."
We rushed into the armored SUVs. The drive back to the Moretti mansion was a blur of high-speed maneuvers and tense radio chatter.
When we arrived, the estate had been transformed into a fortress. Snipers were positioned on the roof. The heavy iron gates were chained shut.
Inside, Michael and Anna were sitting by the fireplace, rocking the baby. The moment we walked in, Michael stood up.
"Luca, I heard the chatter," Michael said, looking exhausted but determined. "The Vitiellos are mobilizing."
"Let them," Luca said, taking off his tuxedo jacket. "We have the numbers. If they attack the estate, we bury them in the front yard."
But I couldn't shake the feeling of dread. I looked down at my burned hand, remembering the absolute ruthlessness of Vanessa and her allies.
"Luca," I said softly. "The Vitiellos aren't stupid. They know they can't breach this house by force. They’ll look for a weakness."
Luca turned to me, respecting my intuition. "What kind of weakness?"
"When I was cleaning the basement last month," I said, "I found an old set of blueprints in the archives. This house was built during Prohibition. There's an old bootlegger's tunnel that leads from the wine cellar directly to the ravine beyond the property line."
Daniel cursed under his breath. "The security sensors don't cover the ravine."
"They don't have to attack the gates," I realized, the horror dawning on me. "They can just walk right in underneath us."
Before Luca could give an order, the lights in the mansion flickered, then died completely.
Emergency red lighting kicked in, bathing the grand foyer in a sinister glow.
"They cut the main power," Daniel shouted, drawing his weapon.
"Chloe, take Leo and the baby to the safe room!" Luca barked. "Michael, go with them. Lock the steel door."
I grabbed Leo, kissing him hard. "Go with Aunt Chloe, baby. Mommy will be right there."
As they disappeared down the hall, Luca handed me a heavy flashlight.
"Stay behind me," he ordered.
We ran down the marble stairs into the cavernous basement. The air was thick and damp. As we reached the wine cellar, we heard it.
The heavy screech of rusted metal hinges groaning open.
The tunnel had been breached.
Luca pushed me behind a row of massive oak wine barrels and raised his gun.
Footsteps echoed in the dark. Flashlight beams cut through the gloom. Five men in tactical gear stepped into the cellar, armed with suppressed submachine guns.
Luca didn't hesitate. He stepped out and fired three times.
The lead man dropped. The others scattered, returning fire. The deafening pop-pop-pop of suppressed weapons shattered wine bottles all around us, raining red liquid down like blood.
"We're pinned down!" Luca shouted over the gunfire.
I crouched behind the barrel, my heart hammering. I looked at the floor. In the red emergency light, I saw something glittering on the neck of the man Luca had shot.
A heavy gold locket had spilled from the dead man's tactical vest.
I didn't think. I crawled on my stomach, ignoring the glass cutting into my knees, and grabbed the locket.
I scrambled back to Luca and popped it open.
Inside wasn't a picture of a loved one. It was a micro-SD card.
"Luca!" I shouted, holding it up. "Look!"
Luca glanced at it, firing another round to keep the attackers at bay. "What is it?"
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"These aren't Vitiello men," I said, recognizing the insignia etched on the back of the locket. "This is a Federal tactical team logo. They aren't mafia. They're corrupt cops working for Vanessa's father!"
Luca’s eyes widened. "Don Bellini didn't disavow her. He set us up."
